Work Visas

UK immigration consists of a five-tier points based system that scores applicants on various criteria to assess their eligibility to obtain a UKwork or study visa.

Tier 1 High Value Migrants

Tier 1 (General ) Migrant: The Tier 1 (General) category is aimed at migrants who wish to engage in highly skilled employment in the UK. This category is now closed to applicants who are outside the UK, and to migrants who are already here in most other immigration categories.

You can apply to extend your stay in the UK under Tier 1 (General) if you are already in the UK with permission to stay (known as ‘leave to remain’) in one of the following immigration categories:

* Highly skilled migrant

* Writer, composer or artist

* Self-employed lawyer

* Tier 1 (General)

* Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP), if you are eligible to switch into Tier 1 (General).

If you are not in one of the categories above, you cannot apply to Tier 1 (General).

Tier 2 Skilled Workers

To apply for Tier 2 Visa you must:

have a job offer from a licensed sponsor and a valid certificate of sponsorship; and
pass a points-based assessment.

Before you apply, you should read the eligibility requirements for your category in full.

* Tier 2 (General)

* Tier 2 (Minister of religion)

* Tier 2 (Sports person)

* Tier 2 (Intra company transfer)

Tier 5 Temporary workers

To be able to apply for a visa under most Tier 5 categories, you must have a job offer from a licensed sponsor, and you must pass a points-based assessment.

You can apply for Tier 5 visa in one of the following categories:

* Tier 5 (Temporary worker – creative and sporting)

* Tier 5 (Temporary worker – charity workers)

* Tier 5 (Temporary worker – religious workers)

* Tier 5 (Temporary worker – government authorised exchange)

* Tier 5 (Temporary worker – international agreement)

* Tier 5 (Youth mobility scheme)

Other categories

These categories are currently open to people who want to come to and work in the UK. The categories below are under review – they remain open at present but may change in the future. Details of any changes will be published on the UKBA’s website.

* Domestic workers

* Contract seaman

* Representative of overseas business

* Clinical attachments

* Film crew on location

* Overseas qualified doctors taking the PLAB test

* Postgraduate doctors and dentists

With all of these changes, navigating the UK immigration system can be a difficult and time-consuming process. You may have to wait months for your UK visa application to be processed by the UK Border Agency, or spend the whole day there to then find out that you do not have all the relevant documentation. We are OISC registered and can submit most of these applications to the Home Office to be dealt with on the same day.